Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has advised Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham to respect referees and avoid arguing with them.

Guardiola made this statement ahead of the Champions League second-leg match between Real Madrid and Manchester City.

Bellingham, who scored the winning goal in Madrid’s 3-2 victory over City last week, was recently sent off for using offensive language towards a referee during a La Liga match against Osasuna.

Madrid and Bellingham argued that he said “f— off” instead of “f— you,” but the referee still showed him a red card.

Speaking in Madrid on Tuesday, Guardiola said he does not feel sorry for Bellingham and emphasized that referees should be “left in peace.”

He admitted he does not understand the difference between the two phrases but stressed that what matters is the player’s intention.

“There have always been decisions like this. You should ask Jude what his intention was. That’s what matters,” Guardiola said.

As Real Madrid prepares to host Manchester City in the second leg, all eyes will be on Bellingham’s performance and whether he will heed Guardiola’s advice.